


A Reunion to Remember.

by cleotheo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-21 12:36:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4829387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleotheo/pseuds/cleotheo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A school reunion is the perfect place for Harry and Hermione to make peace with Ron after years of estrangement. But after shutting the pair out five years ago will Ron be ready to listen to reason? Short, five part story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in a universe without a war, so they attended all seven years of school.   
> The second half of this chapter is a flashback.

Ron Weasley had been enjoying a peaceful Saturday afternoon, until his sister, Ginny, entered his house unexpectedly. Ron had no problems with his family visiting him, but he often wished they would call first before they showed up. Ginny especially tended to just turn up whenever she felt like it.

"Hey Ron," Ginny greeted as she collapsed in an armchair. "What are you up to?"

"Just checking a few articles for next week's magazine," Ron replied.

Ron owned and published the wizarding world's newest quidditch magazine. Directly after leaving school five years ago, Ron had signed for a professional quidditch team as a keeper. He'd spent almost two years playing for the second team before getting his chance to play for the first time in the British and Irish quidditch league. Ron's first match had been a roaring success, but unfortunately for Ron at practice a few days later he came off his broom following a mid-air collision with a team mate and was badly injured. The injury brought a premature end to his career, and after a few months of moping he'd used the money he'd earned while playing to set up the magazine. The magazine had now been going just over a year, and it was really becoming a big success.

"Where's Jenny?" Ginny asked.

Jenny was Ron's fiancée, an American witch who Ron had met while his old quidditch club had been playing a few pre-season matches in the states. The pair had hit it off immediately and even when Ron returned home, they'd kept in touch. By the time Ron had his accident, he and Jenny were pretty serious and she'd been a major supporter of his idea of starting his own magazine. In fact, all the family thought that if it hadn't been for Jenny that Ron wouldn't have done anything productive with his time after the blow of losing his quidditch career just as it was getting started.

"Shopping," Ron told his sister. "She's heading back home next week, and she needs a few bits and pieces."

"Why's she going home?" Ginny asked.

"Her father's having a procedure on his heart," Ron replied. "He's only going to be in hospital for a few days, but she wants to be there for him."

"Are you going with her?"

"No," Ron answered with a shake of his head. "I'll go over if things go wrong, but she's okay going on her own. Her parents tried to convince her she didn't need to go over, but she was insistent."

"I don't blame her," Ginny said. "If Dad was going into hospital, I'd want to be there."

"That's what I said," Ron replied. "I completely understand her need to be there for her father. But since it's only for a few days, we decided I should just stay at home."

"And what are you planning on doing while your fiancée is away?" Ginny questioned with a mischievous smile.

Ron rolled his eyes at his sister, suspecting she was going to try and convince him to hold a wild party while Jenny was away. While her brothers had all settled down, apart from Charlie who loved the single life too much to give it up, Ginny was young, free and single. More often than not Ginny had a new hot wizard on her arm, and as a professional quidditch player whose star was rapidly on the rise, she was considered to be a catch. However, Ginny had no intention of settling down anytime soon, she was enjoying her wild lifestyle far too much to calm down and have a serious relationship.

"I'm just going to have a quiet weekend," Ron said. "Jenny leaves on the Thursday, and barring anything going wrong, she'll be back late on Tuesday evening."

"That's still plenty of time to have some fun," Ginny said. "I'm bound to have some party invites for next weekend. You could join me and we could have some fun together."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Ron said, shaking his head.

"You might get some juicy gossip for your magazine," Ginny teased.

"That's why I employ reporters," Ron retorted. "Come on Gin, you know I'd rather not hang out with a bunch of quidditch players. I started the magazine so I was still involved with the sport I love, but I don't need to be reminded of the life I was denied. I'm happy to leave you to your parties, and to pass the gossip along."

"I can't say there's much gossip at the moment," Ginny said with a sigh. Getting her eye on the latest copy of Witch Weekly sitting on the table beside the chair, she pulled it out from under a pile of post and sent the letters scattering to the floor. "Sorry," She apologised as she began to pick the letters up.

"Honestly Gin," Ron muttered as observed the mess his sister had made. Ginny seemed to have a knack at creating mess, and now it appeared that she couldn't even grab a magazine without creating havoc.

"Sorry," Ginny repeated. "Hey, what's this?" She asked, frowning at what looked to be an invitation of some sort.

"Nothing," Ron answered, plucking the invitation from his sister's hand.

"It doesn't look like nothing." Reaching over, Ginny took the invitation back off her brother and looked it over. "This is a class reunion, and it's being held next weekend."

"I know what it is," Ron muttered darkly. "But I'm not going."

"Why not?"

"Jenny's away," Ron answered with a shrug. "I'd have to go alone."

Ginny looked at her brother in a calculating way as she slipped the invitation back into the envelope. "That's not why you're reluctant to go."

"Of course it is," Ron replied. "Who wants to go to a reunion by yourself?"

"If that's what worrying you, I could go as your plus one," Ginny offered.

"I think that could be sadder," Ron grumbled. "The only thing worse than going alone, is going with your little sister."

"Don't worry, we can make sure people know all about Jenny," Ginny replied. "These reunions are a chance to show just how great your life is. And let's face it Ron, you have a pretty good life. You run a successful magazine and have a beautiful fiancée."

"I know my life is great, but I don't need to show it off," Ron argued.

"Are you sure?" Ginny questioned. "Don't you want to show Harry and Hermione how you're better off without them? This is your chance to show them what you've achieved. Or do you want them to think they've won, and you're too embarrassed to show up to the reunion."

"I have nothing to be embarrassed about," Ron argued. "I never did anything wrong. It was Harry and Hermione who betrayed us, not the other way round."

"I know, I was there," Ginny snarled. "And I think we should attend this reunion to show them we don't need them. We don't need backstabbers like them in our lives."

Ron nodded in agreement, but he didn't think he needed to prove anything to Harry and Hermione. Truth be told, he would give anything for them to be friends again, but too much had happened. Harry and Hermione had once been his best friends, but they'd betrayed him and he would never forgive them for breaking his heart.

"Come on Ron, you know you want to," Ginny cajoled. "Let's go to this reunion next week, and we'll knock Harry and Hermione dead."

"I'll think about it," Ron said quietly. Now Harry and Hermione had been mentioned, his mind was full of his former friends, and more specifically the falling out that had led to the breakdown of their friendship.

{*}{FLASHBACK}{*}

Ron pushed through the crowds in the Great Hall, looking for Harry and Hermione. Since it was the seventh years last night at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore had agreed to let the students hold a small party. He'd had the elves provide food and drinks in the Great Hall, and a small committee of students had arranged for the rest of the evening's entertainment. There was music blaring in the Great Hall, and the party had also spread out of the front door and over the front lawn and down towards the Black Lake.

"Have you seen Harry or Hermione?" Ron asked Neville as he came across his dorm-mate chatting to Luna. While the party was for seventh years, the younger students had been allowed to stay for food and drink, and several of them had stayed on if they had friends amongst the seventh years.

"I saw Harry talking to Ginny earlier," Luna supplied. "But I haven't seen Hermione for a while."

Thanking his friends, Ron continued his search for Harry and Hermione. It soon became clear that neither of his friends were in the Great Hall so he headed outside. No sooner had he exited the school than he found Ginny sitting on the wall beside the front doors.

"Hey Gin." Ron settled down next to his sister, surprised to find she looked so bored. "Are you not having fun?"

"I was," Ginny answered. "Until Harry did a disappearing act. I finally thought things were going to happen between us, but then he disappeared. I only popped off to the bathroom, and when I came back he was gone."

"I hate to say this Gin, but maybe it's time you accepted it's not meant to be," Ron said. His sister had fancied Harry for as long as he could remember, but apart from the odd occasion his best friend seemed oblivious to Ginny's charms.

"Like you with Hermione?" Ginny countered, raising an eyebrow at her brother.

"That's different," Ron argued.

"How?" Ginny demanded. "You'd fancied her for ages, and yet nothing's happened. You still have hope, so why should I give up on Harry?"

"I guess you're right," Ron conceded. "Unless Harry's said he's not interested, you should have hope. I know I have hope with Hermione, even though she never seems to notice me as more than a friend."

"That could be because she's seeing someone," Ginny pointed out.

Ron growled softly at his sister as he got to his feet. "Don't start this nonsense again, Gin."

All year, Ginny had been saying that Hermione was seeing someone, but Ron had yet to see what his sister had seen. From where he was standing, Hermione's year was no different to normal. With her duties as Head Girl she spent less time with them in Gryffindor Tower, but she was working, not running around with some boy. Ron still wasn't sure where Ginny had gotten her idea from, but it ridiculous.

"It's not nonsense," Ginny insisted as she also got to her feet. "Even you can't deny that Hermione has been happier than normal this year. She's practically glowing."

"She's just thrilled to be Head Girl," Ron argued. "You know as well as I do, how much having the position means to her. This is what she's wanted since starting school. She's just making the most of her final year and the opportunities she's had."

"Suit yourself," Ginny said with a sigh. "But don't blame me when you find out that I'm right and Hermione has been seeing someone."

"I'll prove you're wrong," Ron stated confidently. "Let's find Hermione, and I'll ask her outright. Then we'll see who's right."

"Fine by me."

More determined than ever to find his friends, Ron led Ginny down to the Black Lake. After scouting around for nearly ten minutes they got lucky when Dean Thomas said he'd seen Harry and Hermione less than half an hour ago heading off for a walk around the lake. Heading in the direction Dean sent them in, Ron and Ginny began hiking around the lake in search of their friends.

Ten minutes later they were stunned to stumble across Harry and Hermione in a compromising position. The pair were sitting on the grass beside the lake and sharing a lingering hug. As Ron and Ginny watched, Hermione gave Harry a peck on the cheek and told him she loved him. Harry replied with his own declaration of love and the pair smiled warmly at each other.

"Well this just explains everything," Ginny stormed as she stepped into view.

"Hey guys," Hermione greeted, her smile freezing when she spotted the anger flaring in the eyes of the two Weasley siblings.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"What's wrong?" Ron repeated with a snort. "I would have thought that was obvious. How could you do this to me, Harry? You're supposed to be my best friend."

"I am your best friend," Harry replied. "But I'm not sure what I've supposed to have done."

"Hermione," Ron spat. "That's what you've done. You knew how much I loved her, and yet you still made a move on her."

"I bet the pair of you took us for such fools," Ginny snarled. "Sneaking around behind our backs. I bet you were laughing the entire time. Oh, let's lead Ron and Ginny on. We know they fancy us, but we just don't care."

"You've gotten this completely wrong," Hermione said as she got to her feet. "There's nothing going on between Harry and I. We're just friends."

"As if," Ron growled. "We're not blind. We saw you together."

"I don't know what you saw, but you've misunderstood," Harry said pleadingly. "Please Ron, just listen to us."

"I don't want to listen to either of you," Ron stormed. "I've heard enough of your lies. We know what we saw. The pair of you disgust me, and I never want to speak to either of you again. Our friendship is over."

"The same goes for me," Ginny added as Ron turned away. "We're done."

Without looking back, or giving their friends a chance to fully explain what was going on, Ron and Ginny stalked back to the school. They immediately left the party and headed back to Gryffindor Tower, ignoring everyone. The pair continued to ignore everyone the following day and they wouldn't listen to anything Harry or Hermione had to say. They knew what they'd seen, and nothing the pair could say would change that. They knew the truth, and they wanted nothing to do with the pair who had betrayed them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first half of this chapter is the flashback from chapter one, only this time it's Hermione's P.O.V.

Hermione Granger smiled happily as she took in the partying crowds. The end of year party was success, and everywhere she looked she found seventh years enjoying their last night at Hogwarts. Of course it was a bittersweet affair and as happy as people were to be graduating, she suspected there would be tears before the end of the night. After all they were saying goodbye to the place that had been their home for the vast majority of the past seven years.

As she scanned the crowds, Hermione caught the eye of the Head Boy, Draco Malfoy. After a difficult first few years at Hogwarts, the pair had settled their differences and they'd worked together flawlessly this previous year. Of course it had helped that romance had blossomed between them and for the majority of their last year they'd been a couple. And now with school ending, all that was left was to tell their friends about them. Draco was confident his friends would be shocked but would come round, whereas Hermione wasn't quite as sure about her friends. The animosity between her friends and Draco was strong, especially Ron who'd been raised to despise Malfoys the way Draco had been raised to despite muggleborns. However, while Draco had moved past his old thoughts on muggleborns, Hermione doubted Ron had done the same with his beliefs about Malfoys.

When Hermione spotted Harry standing alone, she decided that maybe she should talk to her friends separately. Or at least try and explain things to Harry, so he could support her when she told Ron that she was with Draco. Hoping Harry would give her the chance to explain, Hermione approached her friend.

"Hey Harry, are you busy?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Harry replied. "I was chatting with Ginny, but she's gone."

"Do you fancy taking a walk?"

"I'd love to," Harry said. Linking his arm around Hermione's, he led the way outside.

Passing through the party beside the Black Lake, the pair set off to circumnavigate the body of water. After walking for nearly ten minutes, they found a peaceful spot they could settle down and talk. They could still hear the party behind them, but they at least had some peace and quiet.

"Why do I get the feeling there's something special you want to talk to me about," Harry said, breaking the silence that had fallen between the pair.

"Because there is," Hermione replied, smiling at how well Harry knew her. "I have something to tell you, and I don't know how you'll feel about it. I just hope you won't hate me."

"That will never happen," Harry reassured Hermione as he grabbed hold of one of her hands. "You're like a sister to me, and I will never hate you."

"Let's hope that's still the case when I tell you my secret," Hermione said quietly. "I've been seeing someone."

"Ha, I knew it," Harry crowed triumphantly. "I knew there was something going on, and I guessed it was a boy. So spill, who is it?"

"Draco."

"Draco," Harry repeated, his eyes widening in shock. "Draco Malfoy?"

"You know any other Draco's?" Hermione questioned with a laugh. "Yes, Draco Malfoy."

"Wow, I did not see that one coming," Harry confessed. "I did wonder if Ron had finally gotten somewhere with you, but I figured he wouldn't have been able to keep that quiet, so I ruled him out. I also considered Neville, but then I spotted him kissing Luna, and he's not really the cheating type. I considered a few other boys in our year, but not Malfoy."

"We've been getting friendlier for a while," Hermione confessed. "We've done a few assignments together in various classes before this year, and then this year we were head students together and things sort of developed. We've been together most of the year."

"Why haven't you said anything sooner?" Harry asked.

"I didn't know how you would react," Hermione admitted quietly. "I still don't know how Ron will react, and I didn't want to lose my friends. I love Draco, and I'm going to be with him, but I don't want to lose my best friends in the process."

"You will never lose me, Hermione," Harry reassured her. "I can't speak for Ron, although I would hope he would put your happiness before his own feelings. But I can promise you that we will always be friends. As long as you're happy, you can date who you want. And I promise that I'll give Malfoy a chance."

"Thank you Harry," Hermione cried, throwing her arms around her best friend and giving him a long, hard hug. The pair hugged for several minutes, before she pulled back and pecked Harry on the cheek. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too, Hermione," Harry returned, giving his best friend a warm smile.

"Well this just explains everything," A voice from behind the pair snarled.

Hermione turned round and smiled as she spotted Ron and Ginny. "Hey guys." Spotting the fact the two redheads looked furious, her smile dimmed and confusion flooded her face.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked from beside Hermione.

"What's wrong?" Ron repeated with a snort. "I would have thought that was obvious. How could you do this to me, Harry? You're supposed to be my best friend."

"I am your best friend," Harry replied in confusion. "But I'm not sure what I've supposed to have done."

"Hermione. That's what you've done. You knew how much I loved her, and yet you still made a move on her," Ron spat, his eyes flashing furiously at his best friends.

Both Harry and Hermione inwardly groaned as Ron used the 'L' word. They both knew Ron had a crush on Hermione, but they both knew that was all it was. The previous year he'd had no problem dating Lavender Brown, and even during the last year he'd been out with a few other girls. To be honest both Hermione and Harry thought that Ron would meet someone else he preferred to Hermione, and his crush would simply be forgotten.

"I bet the pair of you took us for such fools," Ginny snapped, bringing the pair's attention back to the two angry redheads. "Sneaking around behind our backs. I bet you were laughing the entire time. Oh, let's lead Ron and Ginny on. We know they fancy us, but we just don't care."

"You've gotten this completely wrong," Hermione said as she got to her feet with a sigh. Trust Ron and Ginny to witness an innocent hug and turn it into a drama. "There's nothing going on between Harry and I. We're just friends."

"As if. We're not blind. We saw you together," Ron snarled.

"I don't know what you saw, but you've misunderstood," Harry said pleadingly, as he also got to his feet. "Please Ron, just listen to us."

"I don't want to listen to either of you," Ron stormed, glaring at the pair as they stood in front of him. "I've heard enough of your lies. We know what we saw. The pair of you disgust me, and I never want to speak to either of you again. Our friendship is over."

Much to Harry and Hermione's surprise, Ron then turned his back to them as Ginny continued to glare at them.

"The same goes for me. We're done," She said hatefully, before her and Ron stalked off towards the castle.

"What just happened?" Hermione asked quietly, her head still spinning from the way Ron and Ginny had jumped to the wrong conclusion and refused to listen to reason.

"I don't really know," Harry replied, still staring after the retreating backs of Ron and Ginny in shock. "I can't believe they would just jump to conclusions and refuse to listen to us."

"Should we go after them?" Hermione questioned.

"No, let's give them time to cool off," Harry replied. "If we go after them now, more arguments will just take place. We'll let them cool down and talk to them when they're ready to listen."

Unfortunately for Hermione and Harry, the opportunity to speak to a calm Ron and Ginny never occurred. The pair both tried to approach the redheads, but they were rudely ignored. Ron and Ginny had made their assumptions, and it would seem they weren't interested in finding out the true story.

{*}{PRESENT DAY}{*}

The old memories swirled round in Hermione's head as she sat with the unexpected invitation in her hands. The invitation had been amongst the post that had stacked up over her and Draco's week away. The pair had just returned from a romantic getaway, and while Draco was unpacking, Hermione had decided to sort the post. The invitation had taken her completely by surprise, and it had triggered her memories of Ron as it was likely that if they attended she would be seeing her old friend.

Part of Hermione would love to see Ron again, but there was still a part of her that was furious with the way he'd treated her and Harry. He'd jumped to the most ridiculous conclusions, and worse still he wouldn't let them defend themselves. He'd been downright rude when they'd tried to talk to him, and in the end they'd given up. If he didn't value their friendship enough to let them talk, then they were just wasting their time in trying to fix things.

Hermione knew that Harry had hoped that Ron would calm down and come to his senses once he was back home, but it had soon became clear that Ron had moved on with his life. He'd signed up for a professional quidditch team, and in an early interview he'd given he made it clear his friendship with the pair of them was in the past. Both Hermione and Harry had been hurt by the interview, but they'd tried to talk to their friend on numerous occasions, and he just completely ignored them. There was only so much they could deal with before cutting their losses and moving on with their lives.

Moving on with their lives had been pretty successful, and the pair were still best friends and as close as ever. Harry had even become friends with Draco and the pair had gone into business together, owning and running a chain of hotels up and down the country. Hermione meanwhile had set up a law firm with one of Draco's friends, Daphne Greengrass. The pair specialised in dealing with the underprivileged and being a voice for people in the wizarding world who would normally be cast aside.

On a personal note their private lives were every bit as successful as their professional lives. Hermione and Draco's romance had continued to blossom after leaving Hogwarts, and a year after graduation Draco had proposed. By the time the pair got married nine months later, Harry was happily dating Daphne. Harry and Daphne had gotten engaged a year after Draco and Hermione's wedding and they were married in a quite ceremony a few months after that. Just short of their first wedding anniversary, Daphne and Harry had welcomed their daughter, Paige, into the world. Paige had just celebrated her first birthday a few weeks ago, and in just over a months' time, Hermione was due to give birth to her and Draco's first child.

"That's the unpacking done," Draco announced as he entered the front room and settled down next to his wife. "What's that?" He asked, gesturing to the invitation in Hermione's hand.

"School reunion," Hermione answered, showing her husband the invitation.

"Could be fun," Draco mused, reading the invitation over. "Do you want to go?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "All the people I would talk to are still in my life."

"But aren't you curious about how people turned out?" Draco questioned. "Yes, we know about our friends, but you have to wonder about other people. I mean, is Lavender Brown still an annoying gossip who doesn't know how to keep her legs together? Is Ernie MacMillan still a pompous ass?"

"You wonder about Ernie and Lavender?" Hermione questioned with a laugh. To be honest, she was surprised that Draco could still remember the names of the students not in Slytherin.

"Not until just now," Draco replied, shrugging his shoulders. "But seeing an invitation to a reunion makes you curious. Aren't you curious about anyone?"

Ron's image flicked across her head, but Hermione shook it away. She didn't need to attend a reunion to know about Ron's life. It had been big news when an accident had ended his quidditch career, and the publication of his magazine had also created a stir. These days Ron was quite the celebrity and just reading the papers gave her enough information about her former friends' life.

"I guess we could talk to the others and see if they're going," Hermione said. "If Harry and Daphne are going, I'll go."

"We can ask them tomorrow," Draco said, pulling Hermione into his arms. "For now, I want to enjoy some time alone with my wife."

"Just you, me and the bump," Hermione chuckled, placing her hand on her swollen stomach.

"Just the way I like it." Draco grinned down at Hermione as he rested his hand on top of hers and entwined their fingers. Together they sat with their hands on Hermione's bump, laughing happily as their child wriggled around inside.

"Lively, isn't he?" Hermione said.

"What makes you think he's a he?" Draco asked. "He could be a she. She could be a lively thing."

"Call it gut feeling," Hermione replied. "I just have a feeling that our little bundle of joy is going to be a boy."

"Boy or girl, I can't wait to meet them," Draco said. "Roll on next month."

Hermione chuckled in agreement. She also couldn't wait to next month when their child made an appearance. They'd both being looking forward to being parents, and the moment couldn't come soon enough for the couple.


	3. Chapter 3

With all their friends, including Harry, going to the reunion, Hermione agreed that she and Draco could attend. The reunion was actually being held at Hogwarts and transport was being laid on from Hogsmeade. Hermione was guessing the transport from Hogsmeade was so that the school didn't have to lift its anti-apparition charms. Even though it was the middle of the school holidays, she knew charms as advanced and large as those on Hogwarts would need weeks to remove and re-erect, and the staff probably didn't have the time to undertake such a task. She was also guessing that flooing directly to the school wasn't an option due to the number of people that might try to arrive at once. Plus all the fires in school were either in the Professors offices or in the four house common rooms.

On the day of the reunion, Hermione had accompanied Daphne and another of their friends, Pansy Parkinson, to a wizarding beauty parlour. All three witches had gotten manicures and had their hair styled professionally. Going to a beauty parlour wasn't something Hermione did often, but she'd had to admit it was nice to be pampered for a little while.

With Hermione's advanced pregnancy it really limited what she could wear and still look good so it didn't take her long to pick an outfit for the evening. Hermione decided on a long, dark blue dress that didn't make her look too big. Of course her bump was very evident, and by the time she had the dress on, she was satisfied that she didn't look like a complete whale. By the time she'd added her jewellery and slipped on a pair shoes with tiny heels, she was happy that she looked presentable.

"You look amazing," Draco said to his wife as she entered the front room. Draco was already ready to go, along with Harry and Daphne who were heading to Hogsmeade with the couple and they would meet their other friends at the reunion

"I wouldn't go that far," Hermione replied with a low laugh. "I still look as though I'm about to pop any minute."

"You look gorgeous," Draco said sincerely.

Hermione smiled, knowing Draco was being truthful with her. Even though she was massive, he genuinely thought she was gorgeous.

"Aw, aren't you sweet," Daphne said to Draco. "You've mastered the art of keeping your pregnant wife happy."

"I had a good role model," Draco replied. "I just watched what Harry did and said when you were pregnant, and I do the opposite."

Draco's response was met by laughter from everyone. When Daphne had been pregnant her naturally sweet disposition had flown out of the window and she was incredibly easy to anger. Poor Harry had spent almost nine months walking around on eggshells, and almost everything he said and did had resulted in him getting his head bitten off. Luckily Daphne had returned to normal once Paige was born, and she was now her normal cheerful self again.

While Daphne and Draco continued to talk about Hermione's pregnancy, Harry approached his best friend. He knew how nervous Hermione was about attending the reunion, and he wanted to be sure she was going to be okay. As much as everyone was looking forward to the night, he knew they would all rather stay at home if attending was going to be too stressful for Hermione.

"Are you sure about tonight?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Hermione replied with a firm nod of her head. "I'm just nervous."

"You're worried about Ron," Harry stated.

"I don't want there to be any fighting," Hermione said. "Parvati and Padma have gone to a lot of trouble to arrange the evening and I don't want their reunion to be ruined."

"If anything kicks off with Ron it won't be our fault," Harry reassured his friend. "The problem has never been with us, it's always been Ron. And to be honest if his attitude is the same all these years later then he has a serious problem."

"You know as well as I do that the chances of Ron letting bygones be bygones are small," Hermione said. "He's good at holding grudges."

"But he has no reason to hold a grudge," Harry argued. "Just remember that Hermione. We did nothing wrong. And even if there had been something going on between us, it still wouldn't have been wrong. You and Ron were never together, nor were Ginny and I. They had no reason to end our friendship just because they thought we were together. No-one was cheating or betraying anyone. It just showed how petty they truly were, and what they really thought of us. If we'd mattered to them then they would have listened to us, but instead they ignored us and shut us out of their lives."

"Harry's right," Daphne said softly as she moved to stand beside her best friend. "Ron was the one in the wrong, not you and Harry. Don't let him ruin what's going to be a great evening."

"I won't," Hermione vowed. "Now, come on, let's go and have some fun."

Making sure they had everything, the foursome flooed to Hogsmeade. Various shops in the village had agreed to open their floo networks to people attending the reunion, and everyone had made arrangements about timings with the owner of the shop. Harry and Draco had arranged the timing of their arrival and Hermione and Daphne weren't overly surprised to find they'd spoken to the owner of the quidditch shop in the small village. Trust their husbands to use the opportunity to have a look around a deserted quidditch shop.

"We're not buying anything," Daphne warned Harry as he and Draco eyed up a selection of signed quidditch balls.

"Neither are we," Hermione said to Draco.

Thanking the owner of the shop for letting them use his premises, the two couples headed outside into the village. Along the end of the street sat several carriages and a couple of the Professors directing groups into various carriages. When they reached the carriages they found it was Professors Flitwick and Sprout in charge of the transport. The two Professors gave the foursome a warm welcome and congratulated Hermione on her very obvious pregnancy.

"Did you notice that they never asked who was with who," Daphne remarked once they were settled in the carriage and heading up to Hogwarts. "Do you think they know, or do you think they're assuming that Harry and Hermione are together and Draco and I are a couple?"

"Who knows," Harry replied with a shrug. "But presuming only leads to trouble. If you're not sure of something you should ask."

"Listen to Professor Potter," Draco laughed.

The remainder of the journey passed in banter and laughter, and when they arrived at Hogwarts they were ready to have some fun. When they alighted the carriages, they found that Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore were greeting people before they headed up to the school. From where they were, they could see the front doors to the school and they could see the Patil twins greeting people and pointing them in the direction of the party.

"Hermione, aren't you glowing," McGonagall gushed as the foursome greeted their former Professors. "How far along are you?"

"Eight months," Hermione replied, her hand automatically resting on her bump. "I'm due in just over three weeks' time."

"Congratulations," Dumbledore said, smiling at Hermione before turning to Harry and shaking his hand. "You'll be a wonderful father, Harry."

"He already is," Daphne said as she took hold of her husband's hand. "To our daughter, Paige. I don't think Draco would appreciate him playing Daddy to his child when Hermione gives birth."

"I'm so sorry," Dumbledore said, turning slightly red at his mistake. "I never considered any Gryffindors and Slytherins would be paired up. But I have to say, it's a delight to behold. I hope you're all very happy."

"We are," Harry replied.

"Enjoy your evening," McGonagall said. "I'm sure we'll get a chance to catch up later in the evening."

"I'm sure we will," Hermione replied.

Saying goodbye to McGonagall and Dumbledore the foursome made their way to the front doors of the school. Only this time, Harry and Daphne ensured they were still holding hands, and Draco wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. When they reached the front door, they chuckled slightly at the surprised looks on Padma and Parvati's faces when they realised just how the couples worked out.

"Wow Hermione, you took the plus one invitation a bit literal," Parvati joked, looking at Hermione's bump once the greetings had taken place.

"Exactly how far along are you?" Padma asked. "You're not going to give birth tonight, are you?"

"Don't worry, he's not due for another three weeks," Hermione replied.

"You didn't tell us you were having a boy," Daphne said with a gasp. "When did you find that out?"

"We don't know for sure," Draco replied. "Hermione's just got a gut feeling that we're having a boy."

"Our aunt had gut feelings when she was pregnant," Parvati said. "She predicated the sex of all six of her children."

"Six children?" Daphne paled at the thought of being pregnant so many times and giving birth six times. Her and Harry had often talked about how many children they wanted, and three was the absolute maximum they wanted. Neither of them understood the appeal of having too many kids.

As more people arrived, the foursome said their goodbyes to the Patil twins and headed indoors. The main body of the reunion was taking place in the Great Hall, where two large tables full of food and drink had been set up alongside dozens of smaller tables for people to sit down. Padma had also mentioned that the courtyard was lit up and in use in case anyone needed any air. Entering the Great Hall, Draco and Harry grabbed some drinks for themselves and their wives before they set off to see if any of their friends had arrived yet.

{*}{*}{*}

By the time Ron was in the carriage with Ginny heading up to Hogwarts, he was beginning to have second thoughts about listening to his little sister. As he'd always known she would, Ginny had convinced him to attend the reunion. However, now he was mere minutes away from possibly seeing his friends again he was having second thoughts. He was perfectly happy with his life, there was no need for him to rake up the past and try and get one over on his friends.

"Look lively Ron, we're here," Ginny called excitedly as the carriage came to a halt in the driveway.

When they alighted the carriage they were surprised to be greeted by Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. However, if the Professors were surprised to find Ron turning up with his little sister they said nothing. Dumbledore and McGonagall politely enquired how the two Weasley siblings were keeping, before wishing them a fun evening. However, when the pair reached the front entrance Ginny's presence didn't go unremarked upon.

"Ginny, I didn't expect to see you here," Parvati commented. "I have to say Ron, you're the first person to show up with a sibling. Most people are arriving with their partners."

"My fiancée is away," Ron replied. "Ginny's just along for the ride."

"Besides, I can't possibly be the only person here not to have been in your year at school," Ginny said.

"You're not," Padma confirmed. "We've got a few former students here who weren't in our year. In fact, I've already seen someone from your year, Luna Lovegood. Although, it'll be Luna Longbottom soon."

"Poor girl," Parvati said with a slight shudder. "Fancy ending up being called Longbottom. It's a rather unfortunate name, don't you think?"

"It's not the best," Ginny agreed. Personally if she'd been marrying Neville there would be no way she would take his surname, to be honest even if she ever did get married she wasn't sure if she would take her husband's surname at all. She rather liked being a Weasley, and saw no reason to change her name because of a marriage.

"Anyway, have fun," Padma said, telling the pair about the parts of the school that were open to the reunion.

Heading into the Great Hall, the two siblings grabbed some drinks and started mingling. Luna and Neville were two of the first people they bumped into and they spent a while chatting to their friends before moving on. They'd been in the Great Hall for nearly half an hour, before Ginny nudged Ron in the ribs and diverted his attention to one of the corner tables. Sitting at the table, alongside several former Slytherins, were Harry and Hermione. The pair looked to be having a great time as they laughed and joked with the Slytherins.

"I did not expect that," Ginny muttered as they watched the group in the corner. "Why are they friends with Slytherins?"

"That'll be Hermione, won't it? You know what she was like in school, always trying to tell us that Slytherins weren't all bad," Ron retorted. "She became quite friendly with the Greengrass girl in seventh year, and she learnt to tolerate Malfoy because they were head students together."

"Learning to tolerate people in school is a far cry from befriending them afterwards," Ginny said. "I'm surprised at Harry, going along with her schemes to befriend Slytherins. I thought he was better than that."

"I thought a lot of things about Harry," Ron muttered darkly. "I've learnt that he's capable of disappointing you. This is just another example of that."

For the next ten minutes the pair continued to watch Harry, Hermione and the Slytherins. In the time they watched, Harry and Hermione remained seated at the table, but several people popped up and down. Slowly the table emptied, and once they saw Draco headed off for a dance with Daphne, it was just Harry and Hermione left chatting.

"Do we go over?" Ginny asked.

Before Ron could answer, Harry got to his feet and held his hand out for Hermione. When Hermione got to her feet, both Ron and Ginny were stunned to see she was heavily pregnant. With the two Weasleys still in shock over Hermione's pregnancy, they merely watched as she pecked Harry on the cheek and headed off towards the door, most likely heading for the bathroom.

"Whoa," Ginny whispered. "They're having a baby."

Beside her Ron nodded his head mutely as he tried to digest the news. As much as he was happy with his own life and had moved on, he had to admit it hurt to see his two former friends together. The last thing he'd been expecting was for them to be having a baby together. To be honest he'd been hoping their romance would have fizzled out, but it seemed to be going stronger than ever since Hermione was pregnant with Harry's child.


	4. Chapter 4

It didn't take long for the Slytherins to all convene in the one place and commandeer one of the large tables in the corner of the room. Even though the Malfoys and Potters were the first of the group to arrive, their friends soon joined them. Pansy and her boyfriend, Theo Nott were the first to arrive, closely followed by Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. Both Greg and Vince were alone as neither of them had a serious girlfriend. Tracy Davis and Millicent Bullstrode then both appeared, each of them with their partners who were Slytherin wizards from another year. And finally the group was completed by the arrival of Blaise Zabini. Blaise was also alone, but it soon made it clear he was attending the reunion looking for some action. Within five minutes of arriving, he'd already scoped out a few potential witches he could try his legendary charm on.

As the group settled at their table, with various people coming and going, they soon became aware they had an audience. Several people had given the table a second look when they noticed Harry and Hermione ensconced with the Slytherins. And then of course there was Ron and Ginny, who'd openly stared at the group when they'd laid eyes on them.

"I can't believe Weasley brought his little sister," Pansy said with a laugh. "Talk about sad. Doesn't he have a life?"

"I read somewhere he was engaged to an American witch," Theo said.

"If he's with someone, why is he so intent on staring at us?" Daphne questioned. "It's really pathetic if he's still hung up on Hermione after all these years."

"Maybe Ron and Ginny are regretting their past actions," Harry suggested. "Last time we were here, they behaved like idiots and we haven't seen them since. They could be wondering how to make amends."

"Is that even possible?" Draco asked, looking at his wife who had been silent the entire time her former friends had been talked about.

"I guess an apology would be a start," Hermione said quietly. "But I'm not going to hold my breath on getting one. If they want to speak, they can come and say hello, but I don't want to spend the rest of the evening watching them watching us. Let's just ignore them, unless they make the first move."

"I'll drink to that," Blaise said, raising his glass and frowning when he found it empty. "Damn, I need a refill, anyone else?"

Theo and Pansy headed off with Blaise to get a drink, while Daphne suggested her and Harry had a dance. However, dancing still wasn't Harry's forte and he convinced his wife she'd be much happier dancing with Draco.

"Look on the bright side, he won't leave bruises on your toes," Harry said with a laugh as Draco and Daphne got up to have a dance.

"Now that will be a nice change," Daphne remarked as she dragged Draco away to dance.

"And now I need to go to the bathroom again," Hermione muttered. "This baby isn't half playing havoc with my bladder."

"Do you want a hand getting up?" Harry asked as she got to his feet and held his hand out to his best friend.

Hermione smiled at Harry as she gratefully took hold of his hand and hauled herself to her feet. "You're the best friend a pregnant girl could ask for," She said, pecking Harry on the cheek. "I'll not be long so don't let Draco worry and come running to find me."

Chuckling at Hermione, Harry settled back down and watched his friend make her way out of the Great Hall. Less than two minutes after Hermione had left the table, Draco appeared at Harry's side, wanting to know where his wife had gone.

"She's fine Draco," Harry reassured the overprotective blond wizard. "She just went to the bathroom."

"Told you so," Daphne said from Draco's side. "Now, come back and dance and leave Hermione alone. She won't thank you for fussing over her."

Conceding that Daphne had a point, Draco let his friend drag him back onto the dancefloor, although he did keep an eye on the door so he could see Hermione returning. When Hermione did re-enter the Great Hall she was with Professor McGonagall and the two witches looked deep in conversation. Satisfied Hermione was perfectly okay, Draco stopped worrying about his wife and concentrated on having fun with Daphne. After dancing for a while the pair returned to their table, where Theo and Pansy were sitting chatting.

"Where's Harry?" Daphne asked, looking around the Great Hall for her husband.

"He went for a drink, and then I spotted him talking to Neville Longbottom," Theo answered.

Daphne and Draco both scanned the Great Hall again, and this time they spotted Harry over the far side of the room chatting with Neville and Luna. Hermione had also joined the group, and the two former Gryffindors looked to be having fun catching up with their friends.

"See, everything's running smoothly," Daphne said to Draco. "There's no need to worry."

"I guess you're right," Draco conceded. Tearing his eyes away from his wife, he smiled as he spotted a bored looking Professor Snape wandering past the doorway. "I'll see you guys in a bit," He said as he got to his feet. "I'm just going to go and say hello to Snape."

Leaving his friends to enjoy themselves, Draco headed out of the Great Hall in search of his former Potions Professor. Not only had Snape been head of Slytherin, but he was also a family friend and Draco hadn't seen him for a few months. It would be nice to catch up while he was up at Hogwarts.

{*}{*}{*}

While Draco had headed off to catch up with Snape, Harry and Hermione were quite happily chatting to Neville and Luna. They'd also spoken to a few of their other friends like Dean and Seamus, although Ron and Ginny had both steered clear of them. Harry and Hermione had been aware of the two redhead's watching their every move, but so far they'd yet to make a move and approach them.

"What's the story with Ron and Ginny?" Neville asked. "They've been watching the pair of you for ages, and when we were talking to them earlier they never mentioned you. In fact, Ron changed the subject when we asked if he'd seen either of you lately."

"We haven't spoken since school," Harry confessed. "They decided that we were a couple, and totally overreacted. They wouldn't listen as we tried to tell them what was really going on."

"Maybe you should all try and make amends," Luna said. "It looks like they're coming over, so we'll leave you to it."

"We can go back to the table," Harry whispered to Hermione as they turned round to find Ron and Ginny approaching as Neville and Luna disappeared off into the crowds.

"It's okay, we can see what they have to say," Hermione replied.

Sensing Hermione's nerves, Harry automatically took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Hermione tightened her hold on Harry's hand as Ron and Ginny stopped in front of them. When the siblings looked down at the pair's joined hands, Harry and Hermione realised that the pair still thought they were a couple. Although, maybe now they were older they would listen to reason and wouldn't jump off the deep end.

"Ron, Ginny," Harry greeted, nodding his head at the two redheads. "It's nice to see you."

"I see you two are still together," Ron spat, eyeing the pair disdainfully.

"We are not together," Harry insisted.

"Yeah, it looks like it," Ginny sneered.

"If you two are going to start this again, I'm going," Hermione said. "I'm not going to ruin my evening by arguing with two people who are too stubborn to listen to reason."

"Run off, just like you did last time," Ron retorted. "Don't face up to what you've done."

"We haven't done anything," Hermione replied. "And actually, it was you two that ran off, not us. You jumped to conclusions and then ignored us when we tried to talk to you."

"You didn't try very hard," Ginny shot back. "Once you left school, you just walked away from us."

"You walked away from us," Harry corrected. "What was the point trying to talk to you when you'd already decided that we were in the wrong?"

"You were in the wrong," Ron argued. "You stole my girl."

"I was not your girl," Hermione said firmly. "I am not a piece of property, I'm my own person and I belong to no-one. Yes, you may have liked me, but that didn't mean I felt the same way. We were not a couple, nor have we ever been a couple. At no time did I betray anyone."

As she finished talking, Hermione let out a low hiss of breath and placed her hand on her stomach. Getting riled up wasn't a good idea as it was making her feel slightly queasy.

"Calm down Hermione," Harry said gently. "Getting mad isn't good for the baby."

"I know," Hermione admitted, before she let out another soft cry. "But I think it's too late, Harry. My waters have just broken."

With a loud squeal, Ginny stepped back from Hermione as she became aware of a pool of water on the floor. Ginny's squeal drew attention to the foursome, and soon the whole hall was aware that Hermione's waters had broken. As people began to watch the action the Slytherins all came rushing over to Hermione, apart from Blaise who'd rushed off to find Draco.

"Pansy, go and see if Madam Pomfrey's around," Daphne ordered, taking charge of the situation.

Pansy rushed off to find help just as Draco sprinted into the Great Hall with Blaise and Snape trailing behind him. Draco pushed his way through the crowds and over to the group and took hold of Hermione's hand.

"It's okay sweetheart, we'll get you to St Mungo's," He said soothingly.

"I'm not sure there's time," Hermione gasped, before crying out in pain as a contraction wracked her body.

"Pansy's gone to get some help," Harry said, looking around for any sign of their raven haired friend. "If this baby is anything like Paige, it's going to come quickly."

"More than likely it will," Daphne said. "When I had Paige, the healers told me that a witch's first child is usually born fairly quickly. It's something to do with the magic aiding the birth, and it's stronger with the first child."

"So where is this help?" Draco muttered, well aware that everyone was watching them like some freak show. "We can't just stand here with Hermione in labour."

"Here they come," Theo called, spotting Pansy pushing her way through the crowds with Madam Pomfrey at her side.

Also following along behind them were a group of Professors, led by McGonagall and Dumbledore. As Dumbledore, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey rushed over to Hermione, Snape and the other professors started making the onlookers back off a bit. None of the Slytherins moved, choosing to stay and check on their friend, and Ginny and Ron also made no attempt to leave. The two redheads were still in shock, not only that Hermione was going into labour but that it appeared as though she was having the baby with Draco, not Harry.

"Let's get Hermione up to the hospital wing," Madam Pomfrey announced. "I would say this baby is coming fast, and it'll be easier to stay here than try and get to St Mungo's."

With Harry and Draco at either side of her, Hermione let herself be escorted to the hospital wing. She was vaguely aware that their friends, Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall, Ron and Ginny were following behind Madam Pomfrey, but she couldn't think of that right now. Right at this minute all she could think of was her baby, and the fact they were going to meet him sooner than they'd expected.

"You'll all have to wait outside," Madam Pomfrey announced when they reached the hospital wing. "The father of the baby may enter the room, and Minerva will you help?"

"Of course," McGonagall answered with a nod.

"Daphne," Hermione called. "I want Daphne as well."

"I'm here Hermione," Daphne said, from right beside Harry. "Don't worry, I won't leave you."

Harry gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek, before letting go of her hand and watching as she disappeared into the hospital wing with Draco, Daphne, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. When the doors swung shut, Dumbledore summoned some chairs and placed them in the corridor so Hermione's friends could wait for news.


	5. Chapter 5

Ten minutes after the doors to the hospital wing swung shut behind Hermione, Ron was still standing in the middle of the hallway in shock. On either side of the hallway, the Slytherins were sitting talking quietly together, but he wasn't interested in what they were saying. All he could think about was Hermione, and the fact she wasn't with Harry after all. Then there was Harry, who could possibly be with Daphne Greengrass judging from a few things that had been said down in the Great Hall.

"Why don't you all head back downstairs," Harry suggested. "The baby will probably be coming tonight, but it could still be a few hours. I promise to let you know the second she has the baby."

After a bit of a discussion the group decided to follow Harry's advice and return to the reunion. Dumbledore promised the school would remain open as long as Hermione was in labour, and everyone was welcome to stay. Chances were no-one would be leaving without finding out what had happened with Hermione. After all, it wasn't every day a baby was born at a school reunion.

"I think I'll go and let Lucius and Narcissa know what's going on," Snape said as he also got to his feet.

Once the two Professors and his friends had gone, Harry turned to Ron and Ginny who hadn't made any effort to leave. Ron was still standing in the middle of the hallway and looked in shock, while Ginny had slumped into one of the chairs Dumbledore had summoned. Not sure what to say to the pair, Harry settled himself down in one of the chairs and waited for them to make the first move.

"Malfoy," Ron whispered, his gaze never leaving the closed doors to the hospital wing. "She's having Malfoy's baby."

"Yes, she's having her husband's baby," Harry snapped, unable to help the bite in his voice.

"We've had this all wrong, haven't we?" Ginny asked quietly as she looked over at Harry.

"Yes, but we tried telling you that years ago," Harry replied. "We told you there was nothing going on between us, but you wouldn't listen."

"But we saw Hermione kiss you and tell you she loved you," Ron murmured as the mistake they'd made was starting to sink in. Because he and Ginny had acted so rashly, they'd never heard the truth and because of that they'd lost their friends.

"She kissed me on the cheek, which is something she's done hundreds of times throughout our friendship," Harry replied. "And yes, she said she loved me, but she was talking as a friend. She loves me, the same way I love her, as best friends."

"Was she with Malfoy back in school?" Ginny asked.

"She was," Harry confirmed. "That's what she was telling me. She was worried about Ron's reaction, so she told me first and we were going to tell Ron together."

"I'm so sorry," Ron said quietly. "I was such a jealous fool. I saw you two together and I saw red. I never should have jumped to conclusions, and I'm so sorry."

"No, you shouldn't have jumped to conclusions," Harry agreed. "But that wasn't what hurt the most. What really hurt was the way you shut us out and ignored us. You never even gave us a chance to explain, and we'd done nothing wrong. You made us feel like we'd betrayed you, and we hadn't. We thought we meant more to you than that."

"I'm sorry, I was an idiot," Ron said. "Tell Hermione that I'm sorry."

"If you hang around you can tell her yourself," Harry retorted. "You can't make up for the past Ron, but you can at least apologise for the way you behaved."

Ron nodded in agreement, deciding that Harry was right. The least Hermione deserved was for him to apologise to her face.

"And what about you?" Ginny asked Harry as her brother took a seat beside her. "Are you with Daphne Greengrass?"

"I am," Harry answered. "We're very happily married."

"But she's a Slytherin," Ginny whispered, unable to believe that Harry would get involved with some from their rival house.

"What house she was in at school doesn't matter to me," Harry snapped, not at all impressed with Ginny. At least Ron had the decency to be ashamed of his past actions, whereas Ginny didn't seem at all apologetic. "I love her and we're very happy together."

"I'm pleased for you, Harry," Ron said quietly. "I'm just sorry I screwed up and I haven't been there for you these past five years."

"Are you serious Ron?" Ginny snapped as she got to her feet. "Hermione and Harry are both with Slytherins, and you're okay with it? We may have gotten in wrong back in school, but they've both betrayed the house of Gryffindor by jumping into bed with snakes."

"Stop being so petty and childish," Harry hissed at Ginny. "Is it any wonder, I was never interested in you. You're a horrible person, Ginny. Daphne is ten times the witch you are, and I'm so much happier with her than I ever would have been with you."

"Are you going to let him talk to me like that?" Ginny demanded, turning to Ron.

"Just shut up, Gin," Ron snarled. "I'm not interested in your petty jealousies. Because I was an idiot, I lost the two best friends I ever had. I'm more worried about making that right. And if Harry and Hermione are happy with Slytherins, then I say good for them. I've moved on and I'm happy, so it's good that they've done the same."

"That's not what you were saying earlier," Ginny retorted. "When you thought Hermione was having Harry's baby, you were furious. I don't see how her having Malfoy's sprog is any better."

"I admit, I was shocked and possibly a bit hurt when I thought Harry was the father of Hermione's baby," Ron confessed. "But that's because I thought Harry had gone behind my back and stolen the girl I liked. I guess even after five years, it still hurt to think my best friends could betray me that way."

"Firstly, even if anything had been going on between Hermione and myself back in school, you still overreacted," Harry said gently. "You and Hermione weren't together, not even in the slightest, and she had no obligation to you. However, since I knew about your feelings for her, I never would have made a move on her without first talking to you. I would never have set out to hurt you like that Ron. It's just a shame, you didn't give us the chance to explain at the time."

"I know, and I'm so sorry," Ron said. "You have no idea how much I regret shutting you and Hermione out."

"Pathetic," Ginny snarled, glaring at Ron. "I've had enough of this. I'm going home. I will never forgive you for this, Harry. You were meant to be with me, not a Slytherin."

Harry merely shook his head as Ginny turned around and stalked off. If she wanted to be so childish, then that was her call. He didn't regret marrying Daphne for one second, and Ginny's outburst had only made him happier that he hadn't been foolish enough to get involved with her in school.

"Do you and Daphne have a baby?" Ron asked once his sister had left. He'd gotten the impression down in the hall that his friend was already a father, but everything was happening so fast he couldn't be sure.

"Yeah, we've got a little girl. Paige," Harry replied, breaking into a grin at the thought of his daughter. "How about you, do you have any children?"

"No," Ron replied with a shake of his head. "But I do have a lovely fiancée."

For a while Harry and Ron casually chatted about their lives, before Professors Dumbledore and Snape returned. Dumbledore mentioned that the reunion was still going strong and the party would be continuing well into the night as they awaited news of Hermione and the baby. Snape hadn't been able to get in touch with Lucius and Narcissa because the couple had gone away for the weekend, but he'd left a message with one of their elves in case they got in touch. Now all they could do was wait for Hermione to have the baby.

A few hours later, the doors to the hospital wing opened and a beaming Professor McGonagall emerged. She informed them that Hermione had given birth to a healthy baby boy, luckily the fact he was a few weeks premature hadn't caused any problems. While Dumbledore rushed off to break the news to the rest of the reunion, Harry headed into the hospital wing to see his best friend. He found Hermione sitting propped up in one of the beds, a small bundle in her arms and Draco sitting perched beside her. Daphne was also standing beside Hermione, smiling as she watched the couple bonding with their son.

"You've certainly made an impression on the reunion," Harry joked as he congratulated his best friends. "No-one will forget tonight in a hurry."

"Is the party still going on?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, everyone's dying to hear about the baby," Harry replied. "Dumbledore's just gone down to break the news to everyone."

As if on cue they heard a very loud cheer emanating from downstairs. Obviously Dumbledore had broken the news and it had gone down well with their former classmates. A few minutes later, Dumbledore poked his head into the hospital wing and announced that everyone sent their congratulations.

"If you rest for an hour or so, you should be able to go and see people before going home," Madam Pomfrey said to Hermione. "I can give you a few potions that'll aid your recovery."

"Won't everyone have gone home by then?" Daphne asked.

"No," Dumbledore replied from the doorway. "We're having an all-night celebration. You take your time Hermione, and when you're ready the party's waiting for you."

"There's also someone outside who would like to talk to you," Harry said. "But if you're not feeling up to it, I can tell him to wait."

"Is it Weasley?" Draco asked. Harry confirmed it was Ron with a nod of his head.

"Send him in," Hermione said.

Harry went to get Ron and the redhead shuffled sheepishly into the room. Taking a seat beside Hermione's bed he offered her his congratulations before apologising. The conversation between Hermione and Ron ran very similarly to the one he'd had with Harry. He apologised for his past behaviour and Hermione graciously accepted his apology, but they both knew too much damage had been done. His actions had destroyed the trust between himself and his two friends, and without trust, they had no basis for a friendship. The best they could hope for was some closure and to put the past firmly behind them so if they ran into each other in the future they could be civil to one another.

"Thank you for accepting my apology," Ron said as he got up to leave. "In the circumstances, I'm sure it's much more than I deserve. You'll never know how much I regret the way I reacted. For the rest of my life, I'll regret being so hasty and judgemental. But I'm pleased that you're both happy. You deserve to be happy."

"So do you, Ron," Hermione replied. "And I'm pleased you're happy. Have a good life."

"You too." Ron gave Hermione and Harry one final smile before exiting the hospital wing and leaving the reunion. At least some sort of peace had been made, and though he would always regret his actions, he'd at least had the chance the see the error of his ways and to apologise to the two people he really should have held onto.

After Ron left, Hermione took a handful of potions Madam Pomfrey had supplied her with and had an hours rest. She was then ready to get up and face her friends and the reunion before heading home. After the excitement of the evening she was more than ready to go home, but before that it wouldn't hurt to say goodbye to everyone and thank them for their well wishes. And of course, she knew everyone would be dying to get a glimpse of their son.

"Do you know what you're going to call him?" Harry asked as he exited the hospital wing, his arm linked through Hermione's. Draco was carrying their son, and Daphne was on the other side of Hermione in case she needed any support.

"We're thinking Scorpius," Draco answered.

"Scorpius Malfoy, I like it," Daphne said with a firm nod.

When the foursome reached the bottom of the main stairs they found Dumbledore waiting for them. The doors to the Great Hall had been closed and when the headmaster opened them, they were greeted by all their school mates clapping and cheering. Of course all of Hermione and Draco's friends were the first to speak to the couple, but everyone else also congratulated them and cooed over the gorgeous new-born sleeping soundly in his father's arms.

After a brief stop to say goodbye, Draco and Hermione left the reunion and using the floo network in Snape's office they headed home. When they'd left that evening they hadn't expected to be returning with their son, but luckily they were super organised and they already had everything they would need. They may not have expected to return from a school reunion with a baby, but it had certainly made it a reunion to remember.

The End.


End file.
